After enjoying Jack's delicious grilled cheese sandwich, the couple settled down on the sofa to watch a movie. Elizabeth was situated with her back against Jack's chest and he has his arms around her. They sat there in relative silence, just enjoying each other's company. Elizabeth was doing her best to forget the scene with her father. She didn't want to be angry; it didn't solve anything to hang on to negative feelings. She needed to concentrate her energy on healing.

Jack sensed that Elizabeth was troubled over what happened with her dad. He was trying hard to help her relax by gently massaging her upper arms and shoulders. He felt it was working because he heard her sigh in pleasure a few times and once she grabbed one of his hands and brought it to her lips, causing him to also sigh. Suddenly, Elizabeth pushed herself forward and grabbed the remote to pause the movie, startling him.

"Elizabeth? What's wrong?" He tried to pull her back into his arms but she resisted. Even with her injuries she was pretty strong.

"Jack, as much as I have been trying to forget the incident with my father, I just remembered something. I had made plans for the holidays with them. Now I need to make other arraignments. What do you have planned for Thanksgiving? Do you go home and visit your mother?"

Jack calmed down once he realized there wasn't something wrong with her. "I usually do but this year I am not. My Aunt Cindy, her sister, lost her husband suddenly to a heart attack at the end of August. My mom rushed out to Seattle for the funeral. As you can imagine, my aunt was very upset about losing him like that and she has been having a hard time dealing. Mom decided to stay with her at least through the rest of the year, to help her get through those first holidays alone."

"Oh, Jack. I am sorry about your uncle."

"Thanks. Anyway since I won't be going to New Hampshire for dinner, I decided to volunteer for patrol duty so that an officer with a family may have some time off. They ended up giving me the six pm shift."

"That's perfect!" Elizabeth replied happily. "I scheduled myself to work the night shift at the hospital for the same reason. I start at six too. We could make our own Thanksgiving dinner right here." Her eyes were shining with excitement.

Jack felt himself get excited too. He had thought he would be miserable that day, not being able to be with family. Now he could be with his girlfriend. "I love that idea. It will be fun to make dinner together."

"I am going to get my lap top so we can research some recipes we may want to try." She started to get up when the buzzer to her apartment rang. Dread filled her stomach. She sent a worried look towards Jack. "I hope that's not Father again."

"Don't worry, Elizabeth. I will be here if that is him. I will help you make him understand he needs to let you live your own life." He leaned in to give her a quick, encouraging kiss as they heard the buzzer again. "Do you want me to get it?"

"No, I had better do it. He knows I am seeing someone but he may not take too kindly to you staying here with me." She walked over towards the buzzer and pressed the talk button. "Yes?"

"Beth, dear." A female voice responded. "It's Mom. Let me in, please! I need to talk to you."

Elizabeth pressed the button to allow her mother to get in the building. She looked at Jack. "I hope he didn't send Mom to do his dirty work again." She said as she heard a knock on her door. She opened it to find Grace Thatcher standing on the other side, with a perturbed look on her face.

"Beth!" She cried as she stepped in and gave Elizabeth a quick hug. "As soon as your father told me what he did and about the fight you had with him, I had to come over." She started to walk towards the living room when she spotted Jack as he stood up to greet her. "Beth, is this the young man you have been telling me about?"

Elizabeth smiled as she walked towards Jack and took his arm. "Yes, Mom. Meet Detective Jack Thornton. Jack this is my mother, Grace Thatcher."

Jack held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Thatcher. Elizabeth has told me a lot about you."

Grace took his and shook it. "The pleasure is all mine, Detective. Beth has told me a lot about you as well." She smiled at him.

"Mom would you like something to drink? Some tea perhaps?" Elizabeth asked.

"If it isn't too much trouble with your arm, I would love something to drink. If you have iced tea that would be great."

"It's no trouble at all." Elizabeth replied and started for the kitchen but Jack stopped her.

"I will get the drinks, Sweetheart. I don't want you exerting yourself. You go talk with your mother." He gave her a reassuring squeeze then walked to the kitchen.

"Thank you, Honey." She replied as she motioned for her mother to join her in the living room. She sat down on the sofa while Grace settled herself in one of the chairs.

"Beth, what a handsome young man you have. He is so attentive too, wanting you to rest." Grace gave her daughter a special smile, one Elizabeth recognized from childhood whenever Grace approved of something she did. "Beth, I had to come here to check on you after I heard about the horrid way your father treated you today. I admit we were both scared when we heard what has happened but he had no right to forge a resignation letter and send it to the hospital. We may not agree with your career choice but I couldn't be more proud of what you have become. I know you love your work and that is what is important in life. I have come to realize that you never would have been happy working at the hotel."

Elizabeth was shocked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing from her mother. "Thank you, Mom for saying that. It means a lot to me." She felt tears come to her eyes, just as Jack came back to the living room with their drinks. He had heard what Grace had been saying and was very happy for Elizabeth. It was good knowing she had one parent on her side. After giving Grace her drink, he sat down next to Elizabeth and put his arm around her. Her tears quickly stopped as she felt his warm embrace.

"Beth, your father told me you were acting like a spoiled brat wanting to get your way when you pointed out that you could very easily be attacked at the hotel. I told him that you were right. Just because we have the latest security measures installed in all of our hotels doesn't mean any woman is safe from attack. Like you said to him, a guest can attack someone too. Your father got angry with me then, saying that you must have poisoned me against him. I have never seen him act so crazy, refusing to see the truth. I told him he needs to let you girls live your own lives or he will lose you forever. He just lost it. He stormed out of the house mumbling something about how the women in his live should obey him. I went to the window and watched him drive away before I went upstairs and packed a bag. I can't be around him until he can see reason and let his family live their own lives, even if that life isn't what he planned. I checked into the Back Bay hotel for the time being. I had to come and talk to you about how I feel. I am behind you 100%." She finished her drink and stood up. "I am going to head back to the hotel and get some rest. Fighting with your father takes a lot out of me, as I am sure you know."

Elizabeth got up to walk her mother to the door with Jack following her. She gave her mother a kiss. "Thank you, Mom."

"You're welcome. Maybe we could have lunch together this week while you are recovering. Maybe if you are up to it, go shopping too."

"I would like that, Mom."

Jack stepped forward then. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Thatcher." He held out his hand again for her to shake it.

Instead of taking his hand, Grace moved towards him to give him a kiss on the cheek. "May I call you Jack" She asked and he nodded yes. 'Jack, please call me Grace. I know you have only been seeing my daughter a few weeks but I can tell how much you make her happy. Even right now, with her in pain because of her injuries, she is glowing with happiness over being with you. That means the world to me."

"Thank you, Mrs…I mean Grace." Jack replied, surprised but happy Grace had accepted him into her daughter's life.

"Get some rest, Beth. Let this handsome man pamper you a little. You deserve it." Grace said as she walked out the door.

Elizabeth, forgetting about her ribs, threw herself into Jack's arms. Then she groaned as she felt the pain. Jack gently picked her up and brought her to the sofa, where he laid her down. Then he went to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack. After she put it on her ribs, she looked at him and smiled. "I can't get over what Mom said. I am so happy knowing she understands now that I never would have been happy working at the hotel."

"It's wonderful, Elizabeth. I am happy for you."

Elizabeth sat up and put her hands on the sides of his face. She leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss that left them both breathless. "I love you, Detective Thornton." She said as her eyes shimmered with love.

Jack felt his heart flutter. "I love you too, Nurse Thatcher." He moved towards her to give her another kiss. "I am going to get started with dinner, Sweetheart. Would you like me to bring over your laptop so you can browse recipes for Thanksgiving? You can make a list for me and we can go over it after I get dinner in the oven."

"That would be great." Jack grabbed her computer and went to the kitchen after he handed it to her. He was smiling as he started getting ingredients ready for the pot roast. Despite what had happened in the last twenty-four hours he was so happy and he knew Elizabeth shared his feelings.